] It really struck me as I reread this first section how rigidly Marianne--and her mother--seem to have classified all people into basically two categories: those with and without strong feelings.

Besides the apparant classification by Marianne and her mother of two types of people - there seems to be a large amount of 'extremes' in personality and temper. Stinginess vs. generosity, friendliness vs. coldness, open vs. shy or reserved. Even surroundings and nature have taken on this parady of opposites - the large estate vs. the cottage, well tended gardens vs. wild nature. I found on this first read some of the characters even appearing 'characatures'; exaggerated to the extreme, almost.